The Riders Of Old: Book One
by JkayChase
Summary: What caused the Fall? Not many know-few lived to tell about it. Even fewer know the true story, and who was really to blame. Follow a rider as corruption slowly poisons a once-strong empire, and brings the Riders to their demise.


"The Riders are coming! The Riders are coming!" A little dark haired boy cried as he ran through the streets. Aderyn watched him pass with mild interest. It happened twice a year-where dragon riders bearing eggs came to Ceunon.

"Go quick Dariun! Perhaps you'll be the first to touch one!" Russel, one of the town's many blacksmiths, called from outside his shop merrily. Aderyn rolled her eyes, leaning down and rubbing the neck of her beloved gelding, Cobalt. The four year old horse responded by tickling her brain with the smoked scent of dragons that the wind had brought, as well as the nervousness his instincts brought him.

_Don't worry-I'll protect you. _She responded fiercely, causing her horse to flick his ears back at his passenger, and then relax, blowing out, utter trust and faith in her replacing his fear.

It was her secret-this ability. As a child, Aderyn had talked of what the animals were saying to her. The adults had laughed it off, and she had learned to keep quiet about it eventually. However, the ability itself hadn't faded, and eventually grew. It wasn't hard for her to know what others were thinking or feeling, human or animal.

"Hey Aderyn, you should hurry to the central market-maybe you'll find yourself a husband atop a winged beast!"

Never stopping the rubbing of her steed's neck, Aderyn replied to the middle aged man's snickering jibe.

"Very funny, Reuben."

This was met with a chorus of laughter from those watching. It was an old joke in Ceunon. When Aderyn had become of marrying age, she had firmly refused every suitor, insisting she didn't want to marry. After a couple years, most of the young men in Ceunon learned not to bother. Tourists, however, every so often attempted. They were always sorely disappointed.

Ceunon was one of the few towns where you didn't have to marry in order to make a living. Being one of the few centers of trade in Alagaesia, there was plenty of work available. And the jobs available paid heavily.

Loving one's hometown was unusual for fledgling adults, who were usually itching to get out in the world and explore, but Aderyn loved hers. The people she had grown up with were warm and welcoming. She loved her father, her horse, and the people she worked with. She enjoyed sharing the woodwork in the shop she and her father owned.

However, while comfortable enough that she had no desire to leave, Aderyn couldn't deny it did settle into a routine that brought about boredom often and quickly.

As such, she was itching to see the dragons the Riders flew in on. The eggs brought in held no interest for her-a dragon egg had never hatched in Ceunon. She was surprised the Riders kept coming. But oh, how she loved to see how the dragons' scales sparkled and shone in the sun.

Cobalt caught her thought, responding with a quiet question that was more a feeling than anything else. But after years of practice, Aderyn understood it perfectly clear, and immediately felt love for her tall horse.

_Will going make you happy? _

_ Yes._ She responded, her response riddled in affection. In response, her horse started walking sure-footedly in the direction of the central market. She waved to the blacksmiths, who had long ago forgotten her presence in talk of dragons and riders.

They hadn't traveled along the cobbled streets of Ceunon long before the large crowd of tourists and townspeople came into view. Boys of all ages were trying to push their way to the front of the crowd to have a chance to touch the eggs. There were bets placed here and there, and many excited conversations among the adults, old and young. There were even a few dwarves in the crowd.

Cobalt caught her attention as he picked his way around the crowd on his own, gently nudging people aside. Someone caught a fistful of Aderyn's long blonde hair and pulled. She let out a small cry, and Cobalt stopped, determining who it was, and turned with pinned ears and bit the arm that was precisely pulling at her hair, which abruptly let go.

"Stupid animal! I was trying to get the lady's attention!"

Aderyn regarded the stranger dressed in foreign clothing-probably from Surda-coldly.

"What does such an uneducated, impolite man want with me?"

The newcomer's tan face bulged with fury, and Aderyn felt the throngs of aggressive, punishing intent radiating throughout his thoughts. Cobalt caught the man's thoughts, and responded with a surge of protectiveness, pinning his ears and tossing his head challengingly. Aderyn knew from experience that the horse would soon come at the man rearing and striking out his forelegs. She caught his attention quietly with a shift of her weight and a single reverberating thought softly spoken to the creature, rebutting his behavior.

Cobalt continued tossing his head, starting to creep forward.

_Members of a herd protect each other. _Was the horse's explanation fiercely spoken. Aderyn took the reins up and with a quiet firmness, backed the big black horse away from his target, letting her gratitude for his intentions flow to him as she did so.

"Addy!"

She turned her head, searching for the source of the call, and let a wide grin spread across her face as she recognized Faro, the dwarf who was akin to an uncle to her. The stout black bearded dwarf pushed his way towards her, recognizing the situation through dark eyes shaped by years of laughter. He had come for the first time to Ceunon to trade jewels when she was four summers old, and her father had offered him a place to stay during the trading season. He had come every year after, and definitely had woven his way into the family with his uncanny ability to make anyone laugh, no matter what the situation.

The Surdan man scowled and retreated back into the crowd-it was well known that a single dwarf had the strength of four strong men. Reaching her and Cobalt, the dwarf stopped to stroke the gelding's nose, who had reached his head down to say hello.

"I'm too handsome for 'em. That's what scared em off," the dwarf said with a grin. Aderyn cracked a smile and laughter sang easily from her.

"How are ya doing, Addy? Good ter see ya!"

"Good to see you too, Faro! Need a lift?" Aderyn said, offering a hand and smiling. At her heel's cue, the seventeen hand gelding rested one knee on the ground, eye-ing Faro expectantly. Faro laughed and shook his head.

"That's a new one! When did you teach him that?" Faro asked, taking the offered hand.

"When he got too big to jump up on," Aderyn replied honestly, pulling him onto Cobalt behind her.

"Ay, he is quite a bit bigger than last year."

Satisfied both passengers were secured, the horse rose, and continued picking his way to the front.

Cobalt stopped quietly at the front of the crowd, smoothly swatting anyone who came up behind him too close with his tail. Addy bit back a laugh, but Faro laughed deeply when he realized what the horse was doing.

"The beast never changes, does he?" he chided.

"No, of course not." Addy replied, scanning the skies along with the rest of the crowd. Just when she was about to give up, she saw them. Or felt them, rather. The very air they flew in sang of their magic. Turning her eyes towards the feeling, she could see them shining, even from far off.

Exclamations came from the crowd as others saw what she did.

"Eh? Only two of em this year? Usually there's three or four." Faro noted. And he was right-those that had dragons spend most of their time in Doru Araeba, training. Only when they were fully trained were they allowed to leave on their own. However, when the cities and towns of Alaegasia were searched for new Riders, the master dragons and riders often allowed their apprentices to accompany them to visit family along the way. To not see more Riders come was unusual.

Aderyn was shaken from her thoughts as the dragons came closer. Their beauty was unmistake-able. Both were large, indicating they bore fully trained Riders. But the way they glided along the air, their graceful figures speaking of undeniable power, was breath-taking. The sunlight danced along their scaled and wings, lighting one up as brightly as molten copper, the other a sparkling blue that put the sea to shame.

"They certainly are magnificent creatures." Faro said, awe covering his tone. But Aderyn's gaze wasn't broken as the crowd grew restless, and the boys and men who wanted a shot took their place on the other side of the area left open for the dragons to land. Along the area they situated themselves, several cushions on pedestals lined the area, waiting for dragon eggs to embrace.

"No kidding." She mumbled.

"Aderyn! Aderyn, beautiful Aderyn!"

Aderyn felt annoyance raise in her as she located the sickeningly familiar voice. Tobius waved at her, winking stupidly, as he went to stand among those who wanted a chance to touch the incoming eggs. She heard several gasps from girls her age in the crowd, and felt the jealousy from them among the excitement.

"Shut up, you bluthering idiot!" Faro snapped. Aderyn laughed at the blunt rudeness of his command, voicing exactly what she had thought. Tobias' face fell for a moment, and then he re-stabilized himself, winking flirtatiously at the ladies behind Aderyn. But she was distracted-for the vastness of the dragons' minds had touched the environment around her, and she welcomed the faintly familiar feeling.

An anticipated hush fell over the crowd as the dragons spread their webbed wings and angled themselves, floating down to the center. They landed with the grace of cats, a crash not heard, their powerful wings moving the air once more as they folded them.

The blue Rider had the pointed ears of all the seasoned Riders, but was rugged in a way that told Aderyn he was originally human. Brown hair shone in the sunlight as all royals' did, and as all Riders, he was clothed in exquisite battle armor, made from the finest metals and jewel inlaid. The blue dragon watched him dismount with protective eyes, his love for his Rider radiating through the air.

_The horse you ride on is exceptional for its species. _

Aderyn jerked at the vast presence in her mind, immediately picking out that the dragon who spoke to her was wise, and a character with undying loyalty.

_Thank you. _She finally responded, unconfident with the unfamiliar touch. Copper eyes matching his sparkling scales regarded her for a moment, and then turned to his white haired elven Rider, who slid off his great back with defined grace.

"I am Nurain, and this is Azar," the Blue Rider introduced, gesturing to his great blue dragon. He glanced at his fellow Rider, who came forward.

"My name is Thdin, and my dragon's name is Atek."

So the dragon who had contacted her had been Atek. The name fit him, she decided.

"As you know," continued Nurain, "We're here in hopes that the Riders for the eggs in this bag are found. We have made arrangements to stay here for one week."

"Now, as you may or may not know, dragon eggs take varying times to hatch for their Riders. As such, us and our dragons will be closely watching for any sign at all that the hatchling inside may have come across their rider. Once that happens, the touching of the eggs will cease, and a period of four hours will be waited for the hatchling to make some sort of movement within the egg. If the egg does not respond further, it will be put back up for introduction."

At Nurain's signal, Thdin took a large gold pouch out of Atek's saddle bag, and moved to the egg stands, gently placing a deep green egg on one near the center. Aderyn felt the hatchling inside somehow exude uncertainty. The crowd started murmuring excitedly, but Nurain held up a hand, silencing them. Thdin moved to the next pedestal and placed a brown egg on the pedestal, the color putting the normal shade of browns to shame in its richness. The hatchling inside was shaking with excitement at something. Aderyn stared at the varying faces in a line behind the eggs, wondering if the hatchling had sensed his or her Rider.

The last egg taken out of the pouch shone a color that was not red, but not quite orange either, but a shade somewhere in the middle. On all three polished eggs, white lines spider-webbed across their surfaces.

"Should any of the eggs hatch, the new Rider will be expected to pack up and leave with us at the end of the week. Blessed be the ones who are chosen." Nurain finished, glancing at Thdin, who organized the boys and men behind the pedestals into three lines.

A consciousness gripped Aderyn's fiercely, with a vigor of excitement that took her breath away.

_Mine! _Cried the happy little voice. Aderyn blinked, and tried to pull away, but the strange consciousness held firm.

"Hey, Addy, why don' you go up there?" Faro asked unexpectedly. Aderyn turned, giving him a strange look at his sudden suggestion.

"Human women never become Riders." she responded. The dwarf shrugged.

"There's always a first." he insisted.

"I don't want to leave Ceunon. It's my home." she said firmly. Disappointment filtered across the stranger's consciousness, and then some sort of decision was made.

_Mine. _It repeated, this time with a firm determination, and an odd squeak in the back of her mind. She shook it off, or tried to. Once again, it held firm.

Aderyn tried to ignore it as the boys started touching the eggs. The process would be insanely long-she debated leaving and going out for a ride. But glancing at Faro's fascinated face, she knew she was in it for the long run.  
Dariun was indeed one of the first ones to touch a dragon egg. The young eleven year old reached cautiously towards the green egg, brushing it before resting his hand on it. He waited expectantly, obviously holding his breath, until finally one of the Riders-Thdin, shook his head and pointed to the next line, the one with the brown egg. Disappointed deflated the boy, but within minutes hope was shining in his eyes again. Aderyn sincerely hoped an egg would hatch for him.

"I look forward to the day when dwarves are entered into the contract with dragons." Faro said, his tone far off. He gripped her shoulder fiercely suddenly, and Aderyn winced at the strength his thick hands held.

"What a wonderful life that would be, eh? A dragon Rider! You should really go up there, Addy! For ol' Faro's sake!"

"No thanks." Aderyn replied flatly. Apologetically at his crestfallen face, she added, "I'd really hate to fly off to an island to go train. Besides, I'm not the warrior type."

Faro shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Aderyn heard a growl echo in the back of her mind.

After a few more unsuccessful introductions, Faro started chatting. Happily, Aderyn turned to the distraction of chatting about the weather and the many wonders of Faro's homeland.

"Wait!"

Aderyn blinked, looking from her lunch to the dragon eggs. The murmuring of the diminished crowd still huddled around the dragons, Riders, and eggs hushed. The brown egg was rocking slightly, and the guy that was in front of it was...Tobias. Aderyn groaned. Said bronze haired boy looked over at her and winked.

"As if that lad needs an ego boost!" Faro smarted, But his dark eyes were shining as he looked over at the egg and boy. The dragons had raised their heads, and Nurain nodded at Tobias.

"Take the egg for four hours. Return whether the dragon has hatched or hasn't. I wish you luck," Nurain said, smiling and clapping Tobias on the back. Tobias took the egg, looking at it disbelievingly, and returned to where his family was sitting as the crowd burst into cheers. Even from where she was, Aderyn could see the family's grins.

"Let's continue the introductions!" Nurain said, and the remaining candidates did just that, abit more vigorously.

*********SHURTUGAL*********

"How did the hatching go?" Aderyn's father, Gareth, looked at her expectantly over dinner. The shade of his striking blue eyes matched hers perfectly, and at the moment, his were alight.

"A brown hatched for Tobias." she replied shortly, cutting into her ham. Her father's jaw dropped and his eyes lit up.

"Good for him! It's about time Ceunon had a dragon Rider!" he exclaimed. Her father truly was a kind, hard-working man, and well-liked. He never seemed to let anything get him down-very rare was it that he didn't smile. And he loved her with all the love and adoration that a father could have for a daughter. Faro snorted from his place at the table.

"Please. The lad has peas for brains. Not to mention how he betrayed Aderyn's friendship," Faro snorted. The table grew quiet, until Aderyn broke the silence.

"His dragon hatchling was beautiful though." Aderyn murmured, remembering how the rich brown scales had glittered warmly on the newborn as Tobias paraded her around.

"Ay, that the little girl was. She will grow 'nto a fierce one." Faro agreed, relief and admiration creeping into his voice.

"What did he name it?" Gareth asked, moving the conversation along.

"Demelza." Faro replied. For a moment, Aderyn wondered what it would be like to be a dragon rider. She wondered what flying would be like, and tried to imagine it. The wind would surely whip around her, and the dragon below her would be strong, stronger than anything she'd ever felt. The image brought her happy contented feelings.

But to leave her father and their shop, and the home she had grown up in...it wasn't worth the ache in her chest the thought brought about. She turned to the meal again, trying to pay attention to Faro and Gareth's chatter while pushing back the strange consciousness that brushed up against her own.

*************SHURTUGAL******************

Aderyn rode Cobalt through the town the next day-particularly towards her favorite place in Ceunon. Rowan's Tavern, it was called. She could hardly wait to curl up in an armchair with a hot cup of apple cider, and grab a good book off of one of the shelves to read. She hadn't wanted to go to the egg introductions today, so Faro had taken her father Gareth with him. She just couldn't stand around that long.

She tethered Cobalt outside the tavern, giving him one last rub and promising him she'd bring back a piece of sweetbread for him when she came out, smiling when excitement radiated from him at the thought. Sending affection towards him once more, she opened the polished swinging doors to the small Tavern.

"Aderyn! Apple cider and sweetbread today?" came the warm, friendly voice of Rowan. Aderyn looked at the red head calling from the bar. Aderyn grinned, heading over and taking a circular seat. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books upon books. Fantastic wooden sculptures rested on top of the bookshelves; wolves, dragons, elves, deer, and many others-some of them carved by her or her father. A fireplace rested cozily in the far left wall, leather armchairs and a table clustering about it.

"How ya doin, sweetie?" Rowan asked, sliding her a cup of cider. Aderyn took a sip.

"Pretty good. A little bored, but good."

"Bored, eh?" The green eyed woman turned away for a brief moment before procuring a thick, leather bound book, sliding it in front of Aderyn with a wink.

"I managed to get this for you. I know you've been on the lookout for an interesting read."

Aderyn curiously traced the plain, unmarked book, and then looked up questioningly at Rowan. The middle aged woman put a finger to her gracefully shaped lips.

"Just between you and me, darlin."

The doors swung open, revealing a small crowd of young adults Aderyn's age. Aderyn recognized a lot of them, but there were a few tourists here and there. The air sang around something in the middle-beckoning her eyes. She groaned when she saw Tobias, his brown hatchling perched proudly on his shoulder.

"Demelza and I are hungry," he proclaimed, as if it was a great law of some sort.

"Tobias, what do dragons eat?" Asked some bimb-witted bimbo hanging onto his arm.

"Meat! They eat meat, of course!" boomed a familiar voice, as Rastal bounded out of the kitchen doors to embrace Tobias in a hug, his chubby form enveloping the younger man. He slapped Tobias on the back, a wide grin spreading across his darkly bearded face at the brown hatchling's snarl.

"Tobias, my boy, what a wonder this is. It's not surprising, though, as you are the best young man in town."

Aderyn snorted into her cider. But unfortunately, it did not go un-noticed.

"Aderyn!" Tobias exclaimed, making his way over. Within seconds, Aderyn was surrounded by far too many people for her own comfort.

"You're coming to my farewell party, right sweetheart?" he said, sliding into the chair next to her.

Aderyn shifted uncomfortably, feeling not only everyone's stares, but their emotions as well. The air was teeming with jealousy from the girls in the crowd.

"Parties-not really my thing," she replied. And it was true. She'd much rather spend the night, whichever one it was, spending time with her father or her horse. Not to mention now that Faro was in town, they all had to go on the annual fishing trip.

She stiffened as an arm rested itself around her shoulder.

"Ahh, come on. Why not? I'll let you hold Demelza," Tobias bartered, and for a moment, she saw her old friend in the hazel eyes that stared down at her. Demelza trilled softly, looking down at her with adorable brown eyes. Aderyn could feel the sweet personality of the hatchling shimmering in the air.

"No." She said, downing the last of her tea, scooping up her sweetbread and book, and standing abruptly to leave. She could feel the stares on her back as she left the tavern, letting the door swing shut with a sense of finality.

**************SHURTUGAL***********

Addy sat down, resting her back against the large oak tree in the clearing, setting her book beside her. Cobalt's black, untacked coat shone smoothly in the sunlight, his large majestic form adding to the already etheral beauty of the scene, the large pond shimmering behind him. She relaxed, dropping the remaining shields around her mind and reaching out to the life around her. First thing she was aware of was a small herd of deer debating amongst themselves whether or not to take a drink from the pond. A human was there, but so was an untethered horse, a prey animal like them. She reached out-assuring them they were safe, and within minutes, five deer emerged from the thick forest's edge.

Aderyn realized what had been tickling the back of her mind-two fawns ambled clumsily in the center of the herd, the adults surrounding them for added protection. She took an apple from her pack, feeling the herd's cautious eyes on her, taking a firm bite. Cobalt raised his head, nickered a greeting to them, and went back to grazing. Aderyn deftly opened her book, keeping her mind open as a prey animal would, but ignoring them pointedly. It took several minutes, but slowly the deer in the herd began to relax.

She found that the unmarked book was a collection of stories-some of dragons and their Riders, some of elves or dwarves. The was even an urgal story mentioned in the table of contents. Curious, she flipped to the page for it-before a small brown muzzle lipped the page.

Aderyn looked up-straight into the eyes of a fawn, to the increasing nervousness of the herd. She kept herself relaxed as the fawn took a few moments to sniff her curiously, before his muzzle reached her jacket's left pocket. A tendril of a question spoke to her, and Aderyn grinned before reaching in and handing over the last bit of sweetbread to the fawn. The fawn snatched it up with startling vigor, and then ambled back over to its mom and the rest of the herd. The mother doe let out a breath, and went back to grazing by the pond.

A sudden wave of panic overcame the herd and they bolted back into the forest. Aderyn blinked as a large shadow loomed over the water, and looked up. Momentarily blinded by the shattered rays of sun, she looked away, and then looked back up again. But the great blue dragon had already turned after the herd. Unbidden, a strange cry came from her throat, her thoughts of protest being caught and magnified by the magic that encircled the dragon. Azar's irritation reached her, but then an inquisitive perspective entered her mind.

_Who are you, young one? _

Aderyn gulped, and was made aware of Cobalt's alarmed breathing beside her. He had immediately returned to her side when noticing she had become nervous. The tension in his muscles was obvious, as he asked her whether they would run or not. The dragon's consciousness pressed against her own harder.

_My...my name's Aderyn, sir dragon..._

A great booming laughter rang through her head.

_Sir dragon, now that's a first. Tell me, what has upset you so to interrupt my hunt? _

The patience in the dragon's voice eased her a bit, but not enough so that she wasn't scrambling around in her head for a proper answer. Finally, slightly panicking, she threw her memories and her emotions and feelings at the dragon instinctually, and then pulled back, embarrassed once she realized what she had done. She twiddled her thumbs while Cobalt nickered in her ear nervously.

Finally, Azar responded.

_Very well, young Aderyn, I will refrain from hunting in this area. Your answer brought yourself a great deal of respect. Caring for and loving all creatures is what the great Masters Bid-daum and Eragon teach us. _

Aderyn let out a breath, and Cobalt went back to grazing.

_There are many questions I have that perhaps you may answer, should we get a chance to talk again. _

Aderyn jumped at the sudden re-connection. _Ye-...Yes. _

The sea-blue dragon wheeled and headed off towards the far off mountain peaks.

After she found the feeling in her legs again, she packed up her things and mounted Cobalt, heading back towards Ceunon.

****************SHURTUGAL*************

As Cobalt and Aderyn picked their way through the crowd (Cobalt helping by swatting people away with his tail), a cry rang out.

"The egg's possessed by a demon!" a foreign voice shouted, and as Aderyn leaned up, she could see a Surdan man glaring at the fiery egg, clutching one of his arms. Anger and frustration seized Aderyn, though she knew not why. Cobalt's ears flicked back towards her, and she took a deep breath, letting it out. The crowd erupted into hushed whispers, and immediately the line for the orange-ish egg became remark-ably short. Thdin walked up to the man, his copper colored bonded following his movements with interest. From her position, she could see a big, curling blackened burn running from the man's palm to his elbow. Thdin and Nurain immediately glanced at Atek, who moved forward and nudged the orange egg with his muzzle. The crowd fell silent as the dragon closed his great eyes. Opening them, he took the egg into his mouth delicately, and wordlessly turned and left, taking the egg with him.

"Let the introductions continue." Nurain called, his voice clearly speaking an order.

An oddly sad feeling came over Aderyn as the egg was taken away. Shaking it off, she committed to staying and watching the remaining want-to-be Riders of the day pull forth and touch the green egg.

************SHURTUGAL*************

Aderyn woke up with a jolt, searching for the noise that had awoken her. She looked around her cozy room, but nothing was out of the ordinary. The early morning rays illuminated the cherry wood dresser across from her, graceful carvings of birds and vines framing the drawers and golden knobs. The dark wooden floor was decorated with a single light blue rug, the shade matching her blankets. Such bright coloring was rare, but her father had truly gone all out to create the perfect room for his daughter.

Grumbling, Aderyn turned over, firmly wrapping herself back into her light blue blankets, closing her eyes and seeking sleep. Several minutes later, she gave in, realizing that she would have to get up earlier than she wanted to. Her bare feet touched the floor, and she ambled her way to her dresser, fumbling for a moment before flipping upwards a hinged bit of wood, a gracefully carved mirror glued to the bottom.

Her long blonde hair hung in unkempt strangles around her face, tickling her shoulders through her nightgown. Deep, vibrant blue eyes blinked slowly, trying to rid themselves of the throngs of sleep. She picked up her brush and tugged at the tangles in her hair, unlocking them bit by bit, not particularly paying her protesting scalp any heed. She turned to the wooden wash basin and washed her face, using a small stiff bristled brush to clean her teeth with it as well. Still groggy, she turned and picked out her clothes for the day-underwear, breeches, and a soft, short sleeved green tunic. In a few, ungraceful half asleep maneuvers, Aderyn was dressed. Still blinking groggily, she willed the memories of yesterday's events to come to her. The introductions had been continued well into the night. She remembered wrapping her arms around Cobalt's neck and resting her head on the horn of the saddle. But after that her memories jumped to being at the house and getting ready for bed. She reached out for Cobalt, looking for the missing link.

Ah.

Cobalt sent her an image of the crowd dispersing, and her and him being the only ones left. A sense of nervousness had tingled his senses, and he had set on his way home, unguided, being careful not to drop his human from the saddle.

Aderyn smiled. She loved her horse. They were a lot smarter than most people gave them credit for, or gave them a chance to be. She turned, her legs demanding exercise at an ungodly hour, and left her room. She padded down the hallway to the door, stopping once to slip on her shoes.

The early morning light welcomed her and lifted her of her sleepiness. A nicker brought her attention to the paddock, and Aderyn grinned, waving to her big black friend surrounded by his two pasture-mates.

"I think I'm going to go wander. Be back later!" she called, jogging out.

Somehow, in her wanderings, Aderyn's feet found her on the deserted central market. Deserted, that is, except for the Riders' tent. The dragons were nowhere to be seen, and Aderyn found herself sorely disappointed. She hadn't felt them, but still, she had been hoping.

_ Hello, little one. _

Aderyn jumped at the vast mental contact, and the strangeness that the communication had been made using words, rather than feelings. She looked around, and felt silent amusement come from the other being.

_Behind you. _

She wheeled, and took a step back from the huge copper forelegs that filled her view, craning her head upwards. The early morning sunlight lit up the dragon's scales in a way that made her wonder how she had missed him.

_I hid from you on purpose. _The dragon responded, as though it had been the obvious answer all along. And of course it was. The enormous creature let out a sigh, and regarded Aderyn with curiosity. Aderyn's head swam with the presence of the dragon's mental contact. The magic pulsed and sang around him-rejoicing in his life.

_ You sense things others can not. _It was a statement, not a question. Aderyn suddenly felt naked, the thing she had kept hidden being stripped out into the open so easily.

Atek's gaze held her in place, piercing through her.

_ Tell me, what is your name?_

_ …..Aderyn... _she replied shyly, feeling very small indeed. The copper dragon looked to the sky.

_Aderyn...it is a strong name, yet holds a certain grace to it. It fits you well._

_ As does yours. _Aderyn blurted before she could stop herself. The dragon twitched his massive tail, much like a cat does when it's contemplating something.

_Indeed. _

The dragon stared at her further, his twitching tail carefully moved to encircle half of his body. His next words held a scolding tone to them.

_ You have been called. _

_ What?_

The dragon lifted one of his forepaws, moving the massive appendage closer towards her, black claws gripping something. When it retracted, the bright fiery egg lay in front of her. She flinched as the hatchling inside joyously grabbed at her consciousness. _Mine! _It cried, and Aderyn had to fight with the urge to reach out and touch it. Atek regarded her.

_Why do you hesitate? _

"I can't leave my father." Aderyn said, the words feeling forceful as they left her mouth.

_The hatchling will not leave this small, dark prison for anyone else. As a race, we dragons are immortal. _

The simple, firm words indicated a fate that horrified Aderyn. Being stuck in a small, dark space forever, never being able to stretch out or walk, or in the hatchling's case, fly. The great copper dragon let out a long breath, curled tail twitching once more. Aderyn started backing away, only to have Atek firmly anchor his large tail behind her as a wall.

Copper eyes stared at her, waiting. The urge to touch the egg was almost unbearable. The egg, she had to admit, was beautiful. The eye-popping color drew her in, the perfectly oblong shape compelling her to draw nearer. It was so perfectly polished, she wondered whether or not the Riders had oiled it.

Unbidden, her fingertips traced the spider-webbed, intricate veining on the shell, just lightly.

In one quick movement a head exploded through the eggshell, and a loud squeak ripped apart the silence of the morning.

"Hush!" Aderyn shushed as a small triangular head squirmed, forcing its wings and limbs through the egg, continuing to squeak and thrash. Amusement radiated from Atek, and he started making odd coughing noises.

"Shush!" Aderyn frantically gestured, finally clamping one hand over the hatchling's head, her thumb finding its way under its jaw. A jolt ran through Aderyn, numbing her arm and tearing a scream from her throat.

A/N Been working on this in pieces for a while...I'm not going to lie, some parts did bore me. But, the overall plan of this series is fantastic enough to interest me to bring it to life. :)


End file.
